1. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates to a backlight unit, and more particularly to a backlight unit adapted to prevent a combination defect of a light source, and a liquid crystal display device having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal display (LCD) devices are widening their application fields because of their features, such as their light weight, slimness, low driving voltage, and so on. This trend is evident in the ways in which the LCD devices have been applied to office automation equipment, audio equipment, video equipment, and so on. The LCD device controls a transmitting amount of light on the basis of image signals applied to a plurality of control switches, in order to display a picture.
The LCD device, which is not self-luminescent, includes a backlight unit irradiating light on the rear surface of an LCD panel in which a picture is displayed. The backlight unit is classified as either an edge type or a direct type in accordance with the disposition of its light source.
The edge type backlight unit includes a light source which is disposed in a position corresponding to a side of the LCD panel. Also, the edge type backlight unit irradiates light emitted from the light source onto the entire surface of the LCD panel using a light guide panel. On the other hand, the direct type backlight unit includes a plurality of light sources arranged opposite the rear surface of the LCD panel. These plural light sources directly apply light to the rear surface of the LCD panel. The direct type backlight unit has a higher brightness and a wider luminescent surface than the edge type backlight unit because it employs plural light sources. In addition, the backlight unit becomes larger in size corresponding to the increased size of the LCD device. In view of these points, direct type backlight units are widely used in LCD devices.
A direct type backlight unit included in an LCD device of the related art includes a plurality of light sources arranged in a fixed interval on the rear surface of a liquid crystal panel, and a diffusion plate and optical sheets disposed over the plurality of light sources. The diffusion plate and the optical sheets diffuse and converge light from the plurality of light sources.
The direct type backlight unit further includes light source drivers disposed at both sides of the light sources. The light source drivers support both ends of the light sources and apply driving signals to the plurality of light sources. To this end, the light source drivers each include a light source PCB (printed circuit board) and grips fixing the respective ends of the light sources.
However, the related art LCD device causes the fastened light sources to be easily separated from the grips while it is combined. Actually, the light sources inserted into the grips can be separated from the grips during the process of feeding or combining the LCD device. Also, the light sources can be left unfastened to the grips by a careless mistake of a worker because the combination of securing the light source with the grip must be performed by the worker. Such a combination defect decreases the productive ratio of the LCD device.